On the eve of Culprit’s 7th Anniversary and with the 70th release, we indulge in one of our favorite label pastimes – unleashing exciting new talent onto the dance music world. Call it a 7-Year Itch – for fresh faces, ideas and energy. Duly obliging are a trio of Montreal artists, ex- of EZLV & Roux Soundsystem, who have come together in the brand new Flights project, making their debut on Culprit with “Sister.”

Montreal has been breeding ground for world-class dance music talent for a long time, with Tiga, Azari & III and Guillaume & The Coutu DuMonts leading the way. The young generation hasn’t been far behind, and the likes of Clarian, Forrest and Prince Club have found their way onto Culprit. Now they are joined by Flights, who are, as heard on “Sister,” well versed in dance music’s storied past and their hometown’s eclectic musical approach. The two originals on the release are full of big ideas, mashing an ol’ school House feel with a new school pitched down Techno aesthetic. The synth work is bold and bright, the drums are brash and bass percolating, yet Flights keep the tempos low and the intensity in check, managing just the right mix of the deep and the dramatic.

As has been the recent tradition, Culprit pairs young, just breaking-through artists with experienced and universally admired remixers. This time around it’s one of the best and hardest-working purveyors of deep house in the US - Pezzner. An especially prolific remixer, Seattle-based Pezzner shows why his reworks are so in demand, as he gives a lesson to the young ‘uns on how to respect the essence of the original, while adding his patented, groove-heavy touch. So enthused was Pezzner about the original of “Sister” that he delivered a pair of versions, with a dubbier, stripped-down mix also included.